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Infinera introduces Cloud Xpress for the metro cloud

Date:
Mon, 09/22/2014 - 11:39

Simultaneously upgrades DTN-X platform with Carrier Ethernet and MPLS

Tom Fallon, chief executive officer at Infinera

Image credited to Infinera

Infinera, provider of Intelligent Transport Networks™, introduced the Infinera Cloud Xpress family of metro optical platforms, designed for network operators delivering cloud-based services to consumers and businesses worldwide. The Cloud Xpress is optimized for the metro cloud, the transport network that interconnects multiple data centers within a metro area. In addition, the Cloud Xpress is designed to simplify the deployment of high-bandwidth connections while lowering the power and space required to scale metro cloud networks. Infinera also announced upgrades to the Infinera DTN-X packet optical network transport platform with the Packet Switching Module (PXM) for Carrier Ethernet and MPLS.

Infinera Cloud Xpress FamilyConsumers and businesses increasingly rely on the cloud for their application needs. As cloud adoption increases, large network operators are reporting a magnification effect on incoming traffic, such that a single request from an end user can generate 10 times the amount of traffic between data centers than was contained in the request. This magnification effect is accelerating the deployment of high-capacity transport solutions into the metro cloud. The Cloud Xpress is a small, stackable platform designed specifically to address this need. We believe Cloud Xpress is the first to offer a combination of operational simplicity, massive transmission capacity and low power consumption.

The Infinera Cloud Xpress is designed to provide the following benefits for the metro cloud:

• Hyper-scale Density – The Cloud Xpress delivers one terabit per second (Tb/s) of input and output capacity in just two rack units (RU) with up to 500 gigabits per second (Gb/s) of line-side capacity and a mix of 10 gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 40 GbE and 100 GbE client- side interfaces. For network operators that need to scale the metro cloud in the least amount of space, the Cloud Xpress leads the industry with an unprecedented 21 Tb/s of input and output capacity per 42 RU rack.

• Simplified Operations – Cloud data centers use a different operational model than traditional service provider central offices. The Cloud Xpress is designed with a rack-and-stack form factor and a new software approach that will enable it to plug into existing cloud provisioning systems using open SDN APIs. By offering an experience similar to the server and storage infrastructure currently deployed in the cloud, the Cloud Xpress enables smooth integration into existing operational processes enabling cloud providers to scale quickly, reduce human errors and lower operational costs.

• Lowest Power – The Cloud Xpress consumes half as much power as the current leader of the market for comparably-sized metro cloud solutions.
“As cloud applications and services have grown in importance, the need for high-speed data center interconnection (DCI) has grown at a very high rate,” said Paul Parker-Johnson, practice lead, cloud and virtual system infrastructures at ACG Research. “This has generated the need for new transport solutions with leaner form factors, higher densities and superior operating efficiencies. Infinera is bringing important innovations to DCI with its Cloud Xpress platform, extending its strength in core transport networks to DCI deployments. Cloud Xpress is well-positioned to participate in the emerging service provider DCI transport market, which we expect to reach $4 billion by 2019.”
“Our customers expect a highly-reliable, high-performance infrastructure that can support their cloud needs today, as well as scale into tomorrow,” said Steve Orchard, senior vice president and general manager, data center and network services at Internap. “Platforms like Cloud Xpress offer great promise to improve the overall cloud experience and enable hybridization at scale, and we look forward to rigorous testing to ensure it delivers the performance and reliability we’ve come to expect from Infinera.”
“Internet Content Providers accounted for roughly 15 percent of North American spending in the second quarter of 2014, as they face large traffic growth, not just to customers but between the data centers themselves,” said Andrew Schmitt, principal analyst, carrier transport networking at Infonetics Research. “Their unique networks combined with growing budgets for networking hardware create an opportunity for equipment purpose-built for the metro cloud. With the Cloud Xpress, Infinera is applying its proven in-house photonic integration technology to meet these new requirements with a unique system for customers who have large-scale data center interconnect needs.”
“Our selection and deployment of DTN-X to support XO’s growth in 100G services is based on Infinera’s track record of delivering best-in-class functionality and reliability,” said Don MacNeil, chief operating officer of XO Communications. “We are pleased to see that Infinera is developing additional solutions optimized for data center interconnectivity.”

Infinera Packet Switching ModuleInfinera continues to enhance the award-winning Infinera DTN-X platform with the introduction of the Infinera PXM, a packet switching module enabling highly-efficient packet-optical transport network architectures. The PXM enables service providers to reduce the number of expensive router ports required to offer a portfolio of services based on Carrier Ethernet and MPLS.
“Creating a seamless cloud experience demands networks that can rapidly adapt to the breadth of connectivity requirements across the enterprise,” said Ihab Tarazi, chief technology officer of Equinix. “We look forward to testing the packet capabilities of the DTN-X and Cloud Xpress, both of which have the potential to help us deliver services faster and more efficiently, to create an even better customer experience.”
“The introduction of the Cloud Xpress for the metro cloud shows that Infinera is again bringing the right 100 Gb/s solution to market at the right time, marking our initial entry into the rapidly growing metro transport market with a unique solution for cloud data center interconnection,” said Tom Fallon, chief executive officer at Infinera. “At the same time, the introduction of the Infinera PXM underscores our continued investment in the long-haul market and our core business of building Intelligent Transport Networks for service providers around the world.”

AvailabilityThe Cloud Xpress is currently in customer trials, orderable now and planned for general availability in December 2014. The Infinera PXM solution is planned for general availability in the first quarter of 2015.